Spiritual Discipline
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
When I say thanks, what comes to mind – walk around and ask
Those are great answers. I think about many of the same things. Now when I say giving what comes to mind?
Very good, and now we combine them and we find the meaning of Thanksgiving. As we enter into this season of giving thanks, I want to remind us of a key spiritual discipline that goes along with Thanksgiving and that is giving. Just like prayer is a spiritual discipline, so too is learning to give, not as popular, but a spiritual discipline none the less. In Luke 21:1 it says this: Read
Pray
When I was back in my first days in the military, I remember working on a particular part on the plane and I was struggling with one of the bolts. When my boss walked up, he said you’ll never get that bolt off that way, you have to have the proper tool. I responded by saying, well I was hoping it would work and I wouldn’t have to walk all the way back to the tool crib to get that tool. With a straight face, he said Airman, planes don’t run on hopes and dreams.
However, now that I am in the ministry I find that the Church is the only organization in this world that works on Hopes and dreams. We hope in Christ and we dream big for His kingdom and He answer, but He does answer through you and through me, through our willingness to give. And as we enter into this time of Thanksgiving I wanted to talk a little bit about the Spiritual discipline of giving, just as it was talking about in Luke 21:1.
I. What is a Spiritual Discipline – vs 1
What is a Spiritual Discipline
Practice of Scripture
A. Practice of Scriptural teaching
1. Reason why the came to the temple
a. It was an practiced that happened many times a year
b. They would give for many different occasions
c. Each one had a purpose
2. Yields Spiritual Fruit
a. Thanks for what God had given
b. Forgiveness
c. Peace
d. Love
3. Running in the military
What is Spiritual Discipline
Practicing Scripture
Starts Small and Builds
B. Starts small and builds
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
1. Warning against not growing
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
What is Spiritual Discipline
Practicing Scripture
Starts Small and Builds
a. Supposed to be proportional to blessing
b. Not stingy but generous
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
What is Spiritual Discipline
Practicing Scripture
Starts Small and Builds
2. Gifts to God and man alike – Lev (The Law)
a. Priest would partake in offerings
i. Not grain to God
ii. Not sin offerings
b. Wave offering
i. People would participate
ii. Share in the blessing together
c. Always a portion to God
i. Wave offering
ii. Heave offering
3. They were being received
a. Jesus does not condemn the rich
b. Realizing, they are practicing spiritual discipline
c. God accepts the offering
d. It can go deeper
II. Giving as a Discipline – vs 1
Giving as a Discipline
Good Stewardship
A. Good Stewardship
1. Three men given to take care of
a. Matt 25
b. Each one according to their strength
c. Two do what they can
2. One of them did nothing
a. Hid the treasure given him
b. He is admonished and what he has is removed
For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
3. Different types of houses
a. Those taken care of
b. Those destroyed
Giving as a Discipline
Good Stewardship
God Granted
B. God has granted us wealth, time and talent
1. May not seem like it
a. small comparted to some
b. Most prosperous nation ever in the world
i. Home – Top 40%
ii. Car – Top 10%
iii. TV – Top 1%
2. Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
b. Stewarding the Church
c. Will bring joy every single time
Giving as a Discipline
Good Stewardship
God Granted
Kingdom Use
C. Use them for the kingdom
1. 5 types of offering in the OT – Lev/Num
a. Burnt – Sin Intentional
b. Grain – Thanks
c. Peace – Heave/Wave
d. Purification (Unintentional sin) – Yom Kippur
e. Reparation - Financial
2. It is commanded of us
And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
b. The Lord love generous givers
c. The Lord wants us to love generous giving
d. Only comes through practicing
Giving as a Discipline
Good Stewardship
God Granted
4. See it going to the temple treasury – verse 5
a. Use properly – Tied to previous chapter – verse 46-47
b. Obviously adorning the temple too much bad
c. Taking care of people first
III. Preparing for Eternity – vs 1
Preparing for Eternity
Storing Treasures
A. Storing up treasures in heaven
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
1. Already established we are rich in comparison
a. Rich with time, money and talent
b. Now we must give as richly as we receive
2. Have received salvation
a. Worth more than all the gold and wealth
b. Have been given so much in my life
i. Think about my kids, my wife
Preparing for Eternity
Storing Treasures
Turning Hearts
B. Turning our hearts to God
1. Discipline keeps turning us to God
a. Remember where our blessing come from
b. That’s why we call it thanks giving
c. Had to be given to us and we give thanks for it
2. Hand wrote graduation thank yous
a. Remember every person that contributed
b. Remember how they were special
c. Same happened at my retirement
Preparing for Eternity
Storing Treasures
Turning Hearts
Giving up Idols
C. Giving up our idols
1. Discipline destroys idols
a. Idols have no power
b. Destroy them when we take their resources
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
c. God doesn’t need our money or offering
i. It is purely for me
ii. Exercise in Thanksgiving
2. Where you put you time talent and treasure
a. That is your God
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
c. Want my heart with God
Preparing for Eternity
Storing Treasures
Turning Hearts
Giving Up Idols
Conclusion